Belt.



No. 666,480. Patented Ian. g2, l90l; H. MEHL.

' BELT.

(Application filed 00%. 11, 1900.;

(No Model.)

HENRY MEHL, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

BELT.

SECIEFIGATION forming part of Letters ?atent No. 666,480, dated January 22, 1901.

Application filed October '1 l, 1900. Serial No. 32,733. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY MEHL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Belts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin belts, and has for one object to provide an improvement in that class of belts in which the buckle need not be removed from the end of the strap which it engages every time the belt is to be unfastened, the said buckle havinga hook-and-eye engagement with the other end of the said belt.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device in which all liability of straining the hookand-eye connection between the buckle and one end of the belt is obviated by hinging the hook to the buckle.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character in which the hinged hook is provided with a retaining-loop, so that when the belt is in position around the waist of the wearer the free end of the belt will be held in snug engagement with the adjacent face of the belt.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents in front elevation a portion of the meeting ends of a belt when attached as in use. Fig. 2 is a back view of the same. Fig; 3 is a top plan view; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the same, taken in the plane of the line 4 4: of Fig. 1.

The body of the belt is denoted by A, and one of its ends is provided with a series of holes a therethrough for engaging the tongue Z) of a buckle B, which is removably secured to the other end of the said belt in a manner to be hereinafter described. The end of the belt which is not provided with the holes a has permanently secured thereto an eye 0, which projects a short distance beyond the end of the belt, which eye is fitted to be engaged by a swinging hook D, hinged on the cross-bar Z) of the buckle B. This hook D is preferably hinged to the buckle B by providing two wide branches d d, which surround the bar 19, upon opposite sides of the tongue Z) of the buckle, so as to also retain the tongue in position upon the cross-bar. The swinging hook D is provided with a loop d on its outer face for receiving the free end of the belt A after it has been engaged with the buckle B.

It will be seen that by the use of the swinging hook D, I am enabled to secure a direct pull between the buckle and the end of the belt A which carries the eye 0 Whether the belt be drawn into a smaller or larger circle. Furthermore, by locating the belt-retaining loop d upon the swinging hook D the said loop will serve to keep the free end of the belt at all times snugly in engagement with the belt when the belt is in use.

In the form of buckle illustrated in the drawings there is but one guard member of the buckle proper, and said member extends upon onlyone side of the cross-bar, said guard member cooperating with the tongue in the usual manner. The swinging securing memher or hook D, hinged upon the said crossbar, extends to the side of said cross-bar opposite said guard, and the strap-retaining loop OZ upon this swinging securing member serves to at all times hold the free belt end against the body portion of the belt, notwithstanding the fact that the buckle proper has but the one guard member.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not Wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth; but

What I claim is 1. In a belt, a buckle arranged to be removably engaged with one end of the belt, an eye permanently secured to the other end of the belt, a swinging hook hinged to the buckle and arranged to removably engage the said eye and a strap-retaining loop carried by the said hook for keeping the free end of the belt snugly in engagement with the belt when in use, substantially as set forth.

2. A belt-buckle comprising a cross-bar,-a guard member upon said cross-bar and extending upon only one side thereof, a tongue upon said cross-bar and cooperating with said I my invention I have signed my name, in presguard member, a swinging securing member enee of two Witnesses, this 5th day of Octohinged to said cross-bar and extending upon her, 1900.

the side thereof opposite said guard, and a HENRY MEI-IL. 5 strap-retaining loop carried by said swinging Witnesses:

securingmember; substantially as described. LOUIS F. KNUOKEN,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as EMIL DAVEY. 

